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Sears Centre Arena - Chicago, IL Friday, April 19, 2013 - 9:00PM CT

Salerno and Butler Tough as Nails, Lead LA to 31-18 Road Victory Over Chicago

It was a dicey evening in Chicago tonight as the LA Temptation headed into the Sears Centre Arena to take on a Bliss team that is loaded with talent. Despite the harsh weather that poured over northern Illinois this week, Bliss fans filled the arena in hopes that quarterback Heather Furr and company could shock the LFL and take down the three-time reigning champions. The Bliss came out swinging…literally.

Bliss running back Chrisdell Harris brought both speed and aggression to the field. Just one minute into the game she broke into the secondary at mid-field and stunned the LA bench with a rushing touchdown to start things off. As she high stepped into the end zone, Harris’s swagger was only building and spreading throughout the rest of her team.

LA showed why they are the three-time LFL champions on the next drive, marching down the field and capping a 35 yard drive with an Ashley Salerno rushing touchdown to tie things up at 6 all.

Meanwhile, Bliss quarterback/safety Heather Furr was boiling and ready to go right back at the LA defense. The Bliss charged down the field on the legs of Chrisdell Harris, not shying away from the vicious fights that defined the intensity of this game. Punches were thrown and choice words were exchanged after nearly every play that ended in a dog-pile. When the smoke cleared, Furr was able to scamper in for a touchdown that gave Chicago the lead.

There was still time left on the clock however, and once again, All-Fantasy quarterback Ashley Salerno took to her legs rather than her arm and ran with force over the hard nosed Chicago defenders. She tied up the game with her second rushing touchdown of the game and took in the 1-point conversion herself as well. LA went into the locker room up by just one point, and the Sears Centre Arena was host to a real fight between two unrelenting teams. Literally… as the two teams headed into the tunnel, their proximity to one another spiked into a fight between Bliss defensive end Yahshi Rice and a few of the Temptation players.

After they were broken up, LA and Chicago went their separate ways and looked to retain some of that ferocity in the second half. Bliss head coach Keith Hac went into a rage of his own in the locker room in an attempt to fire up his girls and finish this game with a win. Unfortunately they just couldn’t stop making the small mistakes.

Fumbled pitches by Heather Furr led to turnovers that gave LA great field position. LA’s Wide Receiver/defensive end Chloe Butler managed her first touchdown of the season capitalizing on a Chicago turnover and giving LA a 19 – 12 lead with 5:30 remaining in the 3rd. Quarterback Ashley Salerno made a physical statement on the 2-point conversion attempt, lowering her shoulder and laying the wood on Bliss safety Alli Alberts. Although the conversion was no good, the Temptation bench was surging with confidence as the girls on Chicago wobbled off the field. Alberts was diagnosed with a concussion and did not return to the game.

Chicago’s Chrisdell Harris, picked the Bliss up off the ground and ran with more power and speed than the LFL has seen this year. Lowering her shoulder into the end zone, Harris brought the Bliss back to within one point heading into the 4th quarter.

It was at this point that LA broke out of their shell and showed the rest of the league what championship defense is all about. They pressured Furr and forced a turnover on downs deep in Chicago territory. Danielle Harvey extended LA’s lead with a receiving touchdown to put them up 25-18.

With six minutes left in the game, Chicago was in dire straights and needed Furr and Harris to assemble a game tying drive. Despite some big plays from receiver Laura Petersen, Temptation cornerback Ogom Chijindu scooped up a fumble and took it to the house to all but seal the deal for LA. Heather Furr was simply unable to elude the pressure brought by Chloe Butler and the Temptation defensive front. Meanwhile Ashley Salerno displayed serious toughness, leading her team to a convincing 31-18 road win to open their 2013 season.

Chicago will have to find a way to get better protection for Furr heading into their next game against Las Vegas on May 10th. Meanwhile, the LA Temptation continue to hold their position as the team to beat in the LFL. They’ll look to carry this momentum into their next game on May 4th when they host a hot Seattle Mist team in Los Angeles.